Doorlatch



`Patented May 5, 1925. i

GooDRIoH a. LEWIS, or WHnATomII'LINoIs;AAssIGNoR, BY ivinsNn ASSIGNMENTS,

To w. HI'MINER; INC.; A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

DOURLATCHI Application filed "July 9j T0 all whom it may concern-r 1 `Be it'known that I, GooDRICIIi Q1 Liiwis,"Y `a citizen of the United Statesyresidingrat lVheaton, inv the county of '-Du Pagerand State of Illinois,` have invented a `certain new and useful Improvement in Doorla:tches,-o-'f which theftol'lowing `is* a fully .swinging door to retalinithe-latter ini-open position and', more particularly,` such a latch l designed for use with heavy` refrigerator car doors. i i t More specifically, anobjectot the inventionis to provide" a `latchfcapableof` withstanding rough usage without` inj uryv to the pivotalv connection y for the 'automatically operating dog-l employed `in the construction.

In the drawing` tormingxaparty ofv this speciiication, Figure 1 is aside'elevational1` View ofa'portioii o-'l' a refrigerator carshow ing my improven'ients vemployed lin4 connection therewithl Figure 2 is a `vertical,lsec` tional viewthrough the improved latch, upon an 'enlarged scale,- showing theV pos-ition` ot the parts wheni theV door is in its vopened andretained position. And lFigure 3- is a 'liront elevational views of one of theV latch members.`

Inl said drawing5 thesi-de wallof the car-f indicated at 10, thel samelhaving:usual, side doorivopeningcfor al: pair of pivotallyhung doors 11 and 12,A thelatter swingingl about vert-ical axes inthe usual manner. rIlhe `door 11 is'closed` firstyandretained in closed position by pivoted latch 13. The other door 12 is swung to closed position last and `is held in closed'positionby any suitable mechanism as, for instance, the shaft 14C and brackets v15.

In carrying out my invention7 I employ two plates for eaohidooi,` either plate being adapted `for attachment to either the door or to the wall of the car or other iiXed member to which the door is attached. `Said two plates of eachconiplete latchare designated` respectively by the reference characters A and B and, in the instance shown, the plate A is attached to the door and the plate B to the side wall of the car by any suitable 1923.?` sriaiNo. 650,335.

means', such as the screws 16--16. The plate A', preferably n ear its lower end, is provided with a rigid projection 171extending outwardly from the body ot theplate` atv right` angles thereto.` Saidprojection 17 has anv enlargement at its o-uter i tree end, the upper surface ot'the enlargement providing a calin face 18 inclined from the horizoiital. i On the rear side `of said enlarged end of theprojection, that is, theside near-` est the bodyl of the plate A5 a `locking shoulder 19is formed, the tace of which is preferably*y inclined upwardly` and toward the body of the plate slightly5 as best shownin Figure 2.'

The other plate,` Bi, isiprovidedwith two horizontally spaced ve'ai's-f20ef20 f projecting perpendicularly; outward from the body i of the plateB. Between said ears 2O` is pivotallymounted ya-dog` G, the latter having` a` heavy main section :21` extending horizontally and `from which project two ears 22,*22 disposed on the inner sides ot therespectiweears 20. Rivets 23.--23 are-prefer-` ably employed and extended through aflined openingsin the sets of ears .20-and 22 to thereby pivotally lmount the dogwith `respect to the plate B. Directly irr` line kwith the ears 22,4 which arerounded -to provide y bearing surfaces 24:? concentric with `the pivotal axis, the plate B is provided with corresponding 4arcuate `bearing surfaces 25-25, for the purpose hereinafter described. In-

. termediatethe bearing surfaces 25, the plate A'y is preferably cut away `as indicated at 26.-

lTheheavy section 21 ofthe dog C has an` side,` the heavy section 21 o tthedog C is provided with a: shoulderQS adapted-to co operate withithe shoulder 19 carried by the pla-tel A. Preferably, the dog. C. is formed with tailpieces 29-29 on its bottom side7 adapted to engage corresponding shoulders 30 on the plate B -to limit the downward swing of the dog C and to assure of the latter always being in position to eo-operate with the fixed projection of the plate A. For convenience, a finger piece 31 is formed integral with the dog C to facilitate disengaging the parts when itis desired to swing the door back to closed position.

In the Operation of my improvements, when the door is swung open, the cam surllt) rfid

tace lb on the lixed projection 17 ot the plate A. will engage the lower corresponding cam surface 32 of the dog C and elevate it until it drops over and engages with the shoulder 19 of the said iixed projection. Furthermore, I so proportion the parts that, in case ot excessive throw of the door in an opening direction, the movement of the door will be limited by the engagement of the plate A with the outer end 27 of the dog C and, by reason ot the co-operating bea-ring surfaces Q4 and 25 of the dog and plate B, respectively, it is evident that the blow will be transmitted directly from the dog C to the plate B without any excessive strain on the pivotal connection of the dog. This is ot importance where the latch is subjected to rough usage, particularly in the case of the heavy refrigerator car doors which are often swung open with considerable force.

From the preceding description, it will be seen that the device which I have provided consists of few parts; is automatically operable to effect latching of the door when the latter is swung open, the parts are ot substantial and rugged construction; and by reason of the special mounting of the dog, danger ot injury to the parts is minimized.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. In a latch for a swinging door, two plates, one ot' which is adapted to be secured to the door and the other to the iixed member on which the door is mounted, one of said plates having a rigid shouldered projection, the other plate having a coi-operable shouldered dog` pivotally mounted thereon, the 'tree end of the dog adapted to engage said plate having the rigid shouldered projection to positively limit the swinging movement ot the door in an opening direction.

2. In a latch ot the character described, the combination with a plate having a rigid shouldered projection; of a second plate having a co-operable shouldered dog pivotally mounted thereon, said dog and plate on which it is mounted having co-operable abutment surfaces to positively limit the pivotal movement of the dog and whereby the :tree end ot' the dogis adapted to engage the other plate in case oi excess opening the combination with a plate adapted to be secured to one of said members, said plate having a shouldered projection, the projection having also a cam surface; oit a second plate adapted to be secured to the other of said members; and a gravity actuated dog pivotally mounted on the second of said plate-s, said dog having a shoulder cooperable with the shoulder oi said rigid projection and a cam surface co-operable with said first named cam surface, said dog and plate to which it is secured having co-operable bea-ring surfaces concentric with the pivotal axis of the dog, and also having co-acting abutment means to positive-ly limit the pivotal movement of the dog, the free end oil' said dog being adapted to engage the plate having the rigid projection to limit the opening movement ol' the door, so as to transmit the thrust through said abutment means, whereby the pivotal connection oit the dog is relieved ot excessive strain. l

4. In a latch for a swinging door member mounted on a relatively iixed body member, the combination with a plate adapted to be secured to one of said members; of a second plate adapted to be secured to the other of said members; and a gravity-actuated dog pivotally mounted on said last-named plate and having a shoulder thereon cooperable with a projection on said first-named plate to latch sai-d members together, said dog provided with abutment means coacting with the plate upon which said dog is mounted, so as to limit pivotal movement of the dog in one direction and arranged in said coacting relation before and after said members are latched, whereby the tree end of the dog is adapted to engage the other plate in case of excess opening movement ot the door, so as to transmit the thrust through said abutment means to relieve the pivot-al connection of excessive strain.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of July 1923.

GOODRICII Q. Ijllivl IS. liVi tnesses AIfnixivoits SAVAGE,

IIAnnim'Tn M. Draaien. 

